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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rest — a break
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. file — a tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. file — a document
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. race — a contest
  13. bulb — for light
  14. race — the arms race
  15. kid — child
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rest — what's left
  18. file — a line of people
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. race — humankind
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com